The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1887-05-10

that it should be restored. JOSEPH
Smith came forth, as an obscure boy
as it were, and proclaimed that he hat
been chosen and duly appointed to opel
up the last dispensation; but he wa
ridiculed and prosecuted and finali.
slain. Yet the work goes on, becaus
God was its originator. This was on
of the leading testimonies of the Latter
day Saints. They declared that
GOD HAD ESTABLISHED HIS CHURCH,
with regularly ordained priesthood
the organization was perfect and com
pIete, Elder Kimball said that all whit
| would humble themselves and ask o
the Almighty should obtain {
knowledge of the truth for themselves
| The idea that a death-bed repentance
was sufficient to save was shown TO bt
erroneous, by the example of the thiei
| on the cross. Elder Kimball had proven
that God was as good as His word; he
| had seen the fultilment of promises III
| healing, etc., and bore strong teStl-
! mony to the truth of the gospel, and
concluded by invoking blessings upon
| his brethren and sisters, and all honest
| seekers after truth.
ELDER FRANKLIN s. RICHARDS added
his testimony to that of Elder Kimball,
saying that he knew the gospel intro
duced by the prophet Joseph Smith to
be true. He referred to the first prin-
ciples, and explained that of repent
ance, the efficacy of baptism and the
laying on OF hands for the remission of
sins. There was a wide difference, he
remarked, between what the elders of
the Latter day Saints and the sects of
the world taught in this regard. The
former declared that they who obeyed
should receive the Holy Ghost: the
latter said that belief in the Lord Jesus
was the only thing necessary to be
saved. The Saints had received
the Holy Ghost and could bear
witness to the goodness of God.
This knowledge accounts for the ten
acity manifested by the Latter-day
Saints, for their endurance under trials
and ordeals; this knowledge may be
possessed by any one upon honest III
vestigation and true inquiry after yield
ing obedience to the gospel. The work
before the Saints, he said, was stupen-
dous one. Obedience to the first prin-
ciples was net the only thing required
of them. They were practical peo-
pie; their temporal and spiritual duties
were numerous; many duties aud OBJ
legations, social and political, besides |
religious, devolyed upon them. The |
government of the United States |
was the grandest under the i
sun; the privilege of citizenship |
was a precious one. The Saints wee |
accused of being disloyal that their |
acts were Subversive of good govern |
nent. This imputation was untrue.
The gospel of Christ taught
AND ALLEGIANCE TO GOOD GOV
ERNMENT.
The Saints felt affection for their coun-
Try and Its institutions. Their saliva
ion depended upon faithful perform
lnce of all their duties, whether reigi-
'us, social, political or otherwise. Each
Individual believed he would be re-
yarded or punished according as he
.cted in this life.
He rejoiced at the privilege of meet
ng with the Saints. 1t is true the lead
RS are absent, he said; they are dear to
IL good Latter-day Saints, and paid a
lifting tribute to them IN their exile and
they are absent, but not
in the hearts of the people.
hose who endeavor to bring destruc-
ion upon the people would yet ,
ealize that they were laboring in [
ain and that their endeaYors ,
Tould amount to nothing in the
nd. The time would come when the
eople of the nation would acknowl-
dge that the Mormors were being
abused and prosecuted. As
ertain as the sun rose and shone, the ;
ruth would prevail. The Saints for +
ave those who prosecuted them. )
He closed by saying he hoped his
rethren and sisters would live faith Y
lily. He referred to the test of 2
eligious belief being put in the courts, y
nd the denial of citizenship and other !
ights to those who believed in revela-
on, and said when they were sub t
ected to such crucial tests they could ?
Tell afford to be true to their con- l
ciences. If the Saints had not the = =
they had, they would think 9
themselves harshly treated; but they
lust either be true or traitors to them
elves, their consciences aad their God. t
lie felt thankful for the privilege Of 7
eng with the Saints, and hoped they | /
-ould continue faithful to the end. 10
ELDER ABRAHAM II. CANNON had been /
ehecting while the previous speaker
|
f the Saints to the government and E
ne gospel. They had acknowledge of i
ne truth of the gospel which had not I
cen given by man; it came through f
ne spirit of revelation; that same +
pirit by which Moses led the children 4,
{ Israel through the Red Sea. 1t was >
lis spirit which told the Saints that the
ospel was true and that every princi O
lie thereof was of God, and the ques- o
on was which should the Saints obey, fl
cd or man?
Elder Cannon said obedience to the "
ws and commands Of God, and also to f
very constitutional law of the country n
as enjoined upon all Mormons. If Il
ley had been guilty of infraction of a
lie laws of the land, it was because d
lose laws conficted with the laws of G. G
cd; men had made laws which af- q
cted many living in plural marriage. Ell
hat principle was known to Joseph rt
NTH in the early years OF the Church,
Id in 1852 it was made public to the -
ord. Ten yearsit was proclaimed be- q
re any act of Congress was made L.